1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wireless communication device for communicating at a relatively narrow range such as Bluetooth, a portable terminal for communicating with such kind of wireless communication device, a communication control program and a communication system.
2. Related Background Art
As disclosed in Japanese patent Laid-open No. 152196/2002, a short-range wireless communication system in which a transmission distance is about 10 m is recently paid attention. An effective transmission distance range of a conventional wireless LAN is not less than 100 m. Although transmission range in the short-range wireless communication system is narrow, power consumption is low. Because of this, the short-range wireless communication system is suitable for information processing devices having a limited battery capacity such as a portable information processing device (hereinafter, called as a portable terminal). The portable terminals are, for example, a portable telephone or a PDA.
Bluetooth™is one type of such kind of short-range wireless communication systems, as disclosed in Member Web Site, “Specifications”, URL: http://www.bluetooth.org. Recently, the portable terminal having the Bluetooth communication function is going to become widespread.
Because a unit price of devices is low and the devices can be downsized, it is predicted that devices having Bluetooth communication function becomes widespread at various places. If Bluetooth becomes widespread, it is possible to provide service and information suitable for each of various places.
For example, in convenience stores, supermarkets, retailing stores and so on, it is possible to provide services for customers, such as an electric coupon service, an electric point service, an electric payment, and a receipt issuance. Furthermore, there may be applications such as control of gate-open/close by using an electric ticket, payment and discount service in vending machines, and payments at parking lots, gasoline stands and drive-through. Besides, Bluetooth is also applicable to Internet access, information distribution and provision of location information. Especially, it is predicted that a lot of devices having the Bluetooth communication function are provided to stations and meeting spots where a lot of people gather.
Hereinafter, a conventional technique will be described based on one example in which connection of Bluetooth is established between the portable terminal having the Bluetooth communication function (hereinafter, called a Bluetooth terminal), and an information processing device having the Bluetooth communication function which provides various services (hereinafter, called a Bluetooth device), and the Bluetooth device provides various services to users having the Bluetooth terminal.
First of all, procedure in which the Bluetooth terminal receives services from arbitrary other device at an arbitrary location will be described. First, an application for receiving services is started up. Next, the Bluetooth terminal performs inquiry and tries to find other terminals capable of communicating.
Next, the Bluetooth terminal acquires the remote name of the found terminal. Next, when a constant time is passed and the inquiry is finished, the Bluetooth terminal indicates to user a list of the remote names of the devices found by the inquiry.
Next, the Bluetooth terminal performs an ACL connection request for the Bluetooth device selected by user. After the ACL connection is finished, the Bluetooth terminal transmits a service information acquisition command.
Next, the Bluetooth terminal acquires service information, and detects whether or not a profile used by the application is supported. If the profile is supported, the Bluetooth terminal acquires the connection information relating to the profile.
The Bluetooth terminal performs connection request for the profile by using the acquired information. After the connection of the profile is finished the Bluetooth terminal performs server certification at application level.
By the above-mentioned procedure, users can receive a desirable service by using the Bluetooth terminal.
Hereinafter, a state in which the services using the Bluetooth and information providing devices prevail, and a lot of Bluetooth devices are arranged at places such as stations and spots where a lot of people gather is assumed. Especially, at a place where a lot of people gather, it is easy to assume situations in which information useless to a lot of people, such as loan, adult information and gamble are distributed.
In such situations, when trying to find the Bluetooth devices capable of communicating from the Bluetooth terminal in order to acquire the services and the information, a lot of Bluetooth devices are found, regardless of whether or not they are useful.
In the present circumstances, when a COD (Class of Device) in which information relating to the kind of the Bluetooth devices is described is used, it is possible to narrow down only the Bluetooth device which provides desirable services.
However, the COD discriminates the kinds of the devices, but does not discriminate the service as it is. For example, even if there is a category of the information providing device in the COD, it is impossible to discriminate which information the device discriminates. The device is identified only after its name is acquired by a remote name.
However, the remote name can be easily set. Therefore, in order to know the kinds of services and information that the device provides, connection is performed by the profile for the information service, for example, connection of FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is performed, and the information has to be actually acquired.
When a dedicated application is used for acquiring certain information, for example, when bar information is necessary, a common key is given to devices for providing bar information in advance. It is possible to prevent connection with false devices by using a link certification function of the Bluetooth or certification function of other communication devices by OBEX (Object Exchange).
In both of the Bluetooth link certification and the OBEX certification, whether or not to be a correct device cannot be confirmed until when user connects to the device. Therefore, when a lot of devices for providing useless information exist, it takes much time to acquire the service and the information that user needs truly.
When an only advertising statement which grabs user's attention is embedded in the remote name, and user searches the device capable of communicating, user sees the advertising statement, and may go wrong selection of the terminal desired by user.
Because the remote name can be easily set, whether or not the device supports the services or information desired by user has to be confirmed by connecting actually. Accordingly, it takes too much time and work for user.
When the device in which the advertising statement is set to the remote name exists, user may go wrong the selection of the device which user wants connection.
Furthermore, recently, a method of directly communicating and performing data exchange between the portable terminals without the server is also realized. For example, services searching users having the same purpose and exchanging mail addresses and telephone numbers are being provided. In such services, when identity of the other communication device is not assured, it is anxious to perform data exchange with the other communication device. Even in P2P communication, it is desirable to promptly communicate with the other communication device that identity is assured.